How does one become a specialist? and how can one tell which are the reputable firms? and what is the career path like ... do most do this until they retire/burn out?
There are only 7 or 8 firms left that employ specialists, a list can be found on the NYSE website, but considering the job market, even if you have that MBA from Harvard , its still going to be tough to get noticed by these guys . Happy hunting, MUChris
nepotism....becoming a floor broker is a better, but not great, possibility without a connection, but not a specialist . besides, you would have to be a clerk (can still make six figures) for 8-10 years before becoming a specialist. who would want to wait that long to trade??? someone posted on this, was in the SLK specialist training program, but i believe he quit and wants to be a prop trader because he didn't want to wait that long, nor did he find it particularly appealing. can probably find it and email him with a search for specialist.
wow i didn't know they were so hated here! I was actually wondering if it was worth going through one of those "training programs" - which pays peanuts btw? Who's good? Who's not? The only major specialist firm i've heard of is SLK, but when i visited NYSE's website, there are ton!
Here's the link from the nyse that lists all 7 major specialist firms. http://www.nyse.com/pdfs/specialist_list.pdf Like others have said, becoming a specialist is a long process. You must work for many years on the floor to get the experience, etc.